Valve construction.



N. N. BOYDEN.

VALVE GONSTRUGTION.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

2 SHBETS-SBIEIBT 1.

' COLUHBIA FLANOURAIH oo.vumx:unrrcu. D. C.

nnnnn STATES PATENT onmon NATI-IANIEL N. BOY'.DEN, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR DIE ONE-I-IALF T WILLIAM S. MUB-RIAN, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17,1914.

Application filed. October 11, 1912, Seria1 N0. 725,264. Renewed Dec-ember 17, 1913. Seria1 N0. 807,354.

T0 all w/wm vlt mag conce1n:

Be it known thac I, NATIIANIEL N. BOY- nnn, n citizen of the United States, residing ut Knoxville, in the county of Knox and 5 Stute o:E Tennessee, have invented new und useful I1npromments in Valve Construotion,

of wl1ich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to valves, and partioularly to valves suitable for use as blow.y-

ofi valves, gage cocks o1 the like on steam boilers.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of such devioes whereby the valve Will be maintained on a seoure seat, the maximum olearance within the body of the Casino; be olotained for a given size of opening in Which the device is 130 be engaged, and the valve maintained securely in open or closed osition.

Another objeot of my invention is so so oonstruot a blow-ofi valve that a discharge passago without abrupt turns or angles and without restriotions along its extent und having a oontinuous surface without angular corners 01 recesses Will be provided fro1n the inlet end of the valve to the outlet thereof, so that the blOW-Off valve Will be adapted 130 carry ofi' sludge and other matter iwthout accretion und ologging, and Without any lia bility ol danmge by the freezing of water 1etainecl therein.

A further objeot of the invention is to so arrange tho assage through the valve that when the valve is open, the steano will be directed laterally or radially outward instand of being discharged in the direction of the axis of the valve. This is an important feature inasmuch as it prevents any chanoe of the person opening the valve being scalded by the escaping steam.

A further objeot is t-o so form the valve tl1at if the lood of the valve is broken ofl, pressure Will not be relieved thereby, the mlve Will be hold firmly to its seat, and thus the liability of danmge due to accident be nmterially deoreased.

A furt-her object is to so form the valve that leakage of steam through the valve stem bore Will loe prevented at all times.

A still further object is to provide resilient means lor holding the valve to its seat, und in this oonnecfion to provide n handle whereby the valve nmy be rotated from its open to its closed position and vice-versa, said handle aoting not only to resilienly draw the valve t0 its seat as it is 1noved to zu closed position, but also aoting to lock the valve in either its closed 01 its open position, the handle to this latter end co-acting with the hoad of the valve body or plug.

A f urther object of the invention is to so form the valve that the initial movement of the handle, in shift-ing the valve from a olosed to an open position, Will act to relieve the resilient pressure upon the valve so as to permitthe valve to be reaclily turned, and a still further objeot is to so forn1 the valve a.ncl valve body that tho nmximunn area, of the valve Will be submitted to the aotion of the stearn within the boiler, and to so arrange the valve und. valve body that when the valve is turned fro1n its closed t0 its open position, the inner face oir' the valve Will escape the inner i'aoe of t-he boiler and not have frictional contaot therewith.

Other objeots and advanmges will be apparent, sonne of the1n from the following description und from the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the device, Fig. 2 is a top view, Fig. 3 is a seotional vievv in the major plane of the device, Fig. 4 is a bot-tom view with the device in open position, Fig. 5 is a seotional view of a modifioation of the device.

It is desired to note 'at the start (hat but three essential elements are required for the oonstrnction of the valve, these being the valve or plug body 10, the. valve 11 and the,

handle 12 secured to the stem 18 of the valve.

In F ig. 3 there is illnstrated a fragment 14 of a boiler in Whi0h the usual threaded opening 15 has been provided in the proper situation for the fitting of the blowoflf valve. The plug body l0 is provided with the slightly enlarged cylindrical base portion 16 exteriorly threaded, and of such length that its inner end projects slightly beyond the inner surfaoe of the boiler. The plug body is reduced abruptly in thicknessimmediately beyond the threaded base 16, and an oblique tuloular extension 17 is formed integrally therewith and extends radially downWard and outvvard for a suitable distance und is adapted in any desiralole manner for engag ment with pipe or other connections, if desired. The extension corresponds in size to the reduced portion of the casing inwardly thereof, a.t its base, but may taper toward its outer end to a slight degree if desired. It is to be particularly noted that the passage in the extension forme a oontinnation of that in l;ll@ becly of the plug, ancl that these two passages join 011 a onrve, so that no angles are presented which would tend t0 impecle the assage 015 sludge. lt is further to be notecl that the inner face 01 Wall of this assage is oontinuous ancl unbroken, so that sluclge and othe1 foreign matter can not collect in any reeesses, projections 01 shoulders. The diameter of the bore of the extension is slightly greater than the bore 01 he plug body, and loy reason of the greater clearance in the 'outward continua tlon 015 the leere, the thorough olearance 01 Water and sludge is assured, so tl1at the pass sages W111 not tend to become clogged neither Will there be sulfioient water sontainecl in tl1e clevice to render it liable to freeze. The complete cllaining ol' ehe boxe is further secured by the fact that the extension 17 is clireotecl downwardly, so that any water that may collect within the bore Will tencl t0 drain away.

Formecl integral with the plug body is a valve stem housing 18, through Which a bo1re 19 extends fro1n the front oncl to the rear encl of the plug hody. This leere 19 is disposecl as olose to the periphery oft the plug bocly as possible withoutinterfering With the tlneacls of the base portion 16 or unduly weakening alle devioe. In this bore is disposecl the valve ste1n 13 carrying alz its inner encl the valve 11, ancl at its outer encl the handle 12, as previously stated. 'lhe inner encl 013 the plug body projects slightly inward of the inner 1ace 015 the heiler sheet 14, and this inner end may eibher b( smeothly finishecl to as nearly a perfeei plane as possible to for1n a seat for the valve 11, 01 a special seat 20 having a ci1 oular 01 cylinclrical peri1neter may be filted in a corresponding reoess in the inner end 0f the plug hores. H alle plug is made of brass 01 like 1netal, this special soat 20 is not necessary, laut if the plug i.s macle 01 iron 01 lil:e 1naterial lt is hast to provide the seat 20. lt is ohvious also thal; the seat 20 1night be 1nacle 01 some material which would aot as a packing fo1 the valve when l'ho valve is drawn inward t0 its seat, and therefore 1 clo not wish to he limitecl t0 the use elf metal to fonn tl1e seat 20. In Fig. 8, I have shown the plug hody as provided with the seat 20, while in Fig. 5, 1 have shown it without this seat. This fitting comprises therein an extenslon of the valve sten1 housing, as att 21, the 1ecess im l;he seal; fitning circumsoribing the hore and extending outwarclly thereof a proper distance at the nearest point of proximity. The Seat 20 should be of non-cerrosive n1elal er one well adapted to work to a proper seat with the valve 11. The inner encl of the plug hody has a crescenhshaped passage 22 therethrough, tho inner sicle of Which is next to and C011- centrio With the leere 19, but spacecl a dislanoe therefrom so that a portion 0f the seat snrfaoe intervenes 101 a purpose to be 1nadeolea1. By this construetion the clearway through the hase is reduoed in a mininnun degree, the passage also leacling to the extension 17 in the most direot manner.

The valve has somewhat the shape 0f a shield, and cornprises a plane body, the 1najor perimeter of Whi0h is oiroular in lfonn, slightly sn1aller than the base 16 anal of a dia1neper permitting lt to olear tl1 sicles of the opening in the heiler Whon in closed gosition to permit the plug base to be sorewed thereinto. The plane surfaee 01E the valve surrounds the stem, extending entwardly therefrom on the side nearest the pe1ilneter of the base lout Within a continualzion oft the arc of the major periphery, and being conoentric with the stem, ihe edge at 'Cl11s pa1t being eontinued ooneentrio With the ste1n and curved outward al: a proper distance 011 eaoh side OIE Ehe sl:en1 lo allow he full opening t0 be cleared When the valve is in fully opened position, tl1e adjacent eclges of the valve and opening being l1l1en in alinement, and corresponcling in outline.

The base of the plug is intended Co loe sorewed into the boiler until lt p1ojecbs inwardly from tl1e inner surface, and sho-uld be SO loeated that the valve 1nay readily swing outward t0 one side o1 the othor for opening. S" hen in 0pen osition, it Will be soen that the escape 01' stea1n around the sle1n is guarded agalnsthy the ortion o1" the valve projeoting frona the sem.

The outer end o1 the plug body is provided with a transversely extending head 25, trans Verse l;o l5l1e major plane 01" the plug, the ou;er l:'aoe o1 whioh ls cut away transversely so as t0 forn1 a shoulder 26 adaptecl to check, at opposite li1nits o1 its 1novernent, the handle 12, securecl adjuslably 011 the squared outer end of the stem, which projeets a suitable dlstanee. The handle is provided with a squared opening in it's inner end fitting snugly over the end of the slen1, ancl a set sorew 27 is engaged therein and a alnst lhe ste1n to hold the handle in plane. The handle is gradually 1ecluced in 'l1hicliness loward ils inner encl so as to 1t'onn ortion 12 which is resiliently yieldlng. A; a snitahle point 111t8111180l13136ly of the l0ilg'll of the handle, 011 its inner side 1ace tl e is for1ned a hoss 28, and the cross hoad 15 provided at each end 011 ils oucer side Wit-h an lnelined 073 beveled edge 29, upon woich lhe 0oth 1nay ride as the handle is moved l'0 horizontal posilion, flexlng l7he handle slightly ancl engaglng in the acljacenl; notches 30, acooroing to the di1eolion ehe handle is smmg. "lhe nolches 30 a1e horlzmalal and aarallel to the shoulcler 26, and lt Will he notecl lfro1n Fig. 1 that these notches 30 are less in depth than the beveled edge 25. The

handle should be of such material as to allow it to resiliently give to the pressure of the boss on the beveled edge 29, and is so ad justed on the stem as to be maintained under slight fiexure at each limit of its movernent. lt is also adjusted in such relation to the valve that when the valve is closed the boss Will be engaged in one of the notches, and in this way the resilienoe o-f the handle serves both to hold the valve in open or closed position, and also to bear the valve forcibly against its seat. This is due to the fast that the notches 30 are less in depth than the depth of the beveled edge portion 29, so that when the boss 28 springs into the notch 30, the handle Will still be under tens1on.

The valve plug with the cross head 25 may be cast integrally, and the valve may be made in the manner usually followed in the produotion o:f mushroom valves.

lt should be noted that by forming the ports in the valve in the manner shown and described, that is to say, in the form of an eccentric crescent rather, than a circular opening, a much lar'ger rate of flow of steam through the valve is permitted, and the maxi1nurn capacity of the opening in the heiler with a valve of this type Will loe made use o1. The specific relation of the orescentshaped port or passage to the axis of the plug is entirely distinct fro1n the familiar use o1" a concentrioally curved port or passage and rotating valve. Such ports cannot extend over an aro concentric With the axis of the plug of 1nore than 180 degrees and still be cleared by a oonoentrically rnoving valve of this type. It will be oloserved, however, that in rny valve the opening extencls over an arc of about 265 degrees. t Will loe found in the art that no arcuate valve port of this type has heretofore equaled 180 degrees, and n1ost of them are much shorter.

I show in Fig. 4 of the drawings a n1ocli fioation of the devioe wherein the stem housing 18 is provided at its outer and With a suitable recess 35 formed in an enlargement of the bore 19, in which recess there is disposecl a. suitable helical spring 36 surround ing the ste1n and bearing against the enlarged head of the handle 12. The re- 1nainder of the construotion may be as before described.

As before stated the resiliency of the handle 12 as illustrated in Fig. 2 serves to draw the valve 11 to its seat, but the same innotion is seoured by the use of the spring 35, and in this oase the handle may be simply used as a 1neans o1 looking the valve in its closed or open position.

It will be obvious that this invention is Well adapted to use in various situations other than in oonneotion With steam boilers, and has especial value ror use as a valve in 'nurnerous oonfined situations, es 011 acoount of the extension 17 it may be so used in situations in whioh many other valves could no-t be oonveniently operated.

With either forn1 of the device as desoribed, the valve is Well adapted to use With high or low pressures, and for controlling various fluids, the helical spring being partionlarly desirable in case a band wheel is used in plaoe of the lever handle desoribed, the spring 35 acting to draw the valve 11 into such olose frictional contact that the inner end of the plug body has to hold the valve to its seat and resist any turning move1nent of the valve spindle.

lt is found in the art that all valves adapted for use as bl0W-0ft' valves prior to my invention, and inoluding a valve rotat ing or oscillating in or parallel to a Seat for sliding engage1nent therewith are easily rendered inoperative loy freezing and are 1nore liable to freeze than the valve con structed as preivously desoribed. The blow- 0Jl valves prior to my invention are so sonstructed that they are exposed, and water may freeze around the valve and so obstruct its movement. By my construction, the valve is looated witnin the hoiler and utilizes the space Within the boiler and surrounding the inner end er the plug in plaoe of a special casing to inclose the valve When opened. By the elimination of the inolosing oasing, and by the elimination of a charnber Within Which the valve is inolosed, the liability of sludge acoumulating in the path of the valve is reduced, and further, the valve being supported when opened out of contact with the inner faoe of the boiler o1 any other part, and when closed resting only against the smooth contaoting faoe of the seat or the end of the valve plug, the accmnulation 'of sludge is prevented and the liability o:t'

freezing very greatly reduced. Further, when the valve is open, steam may pass all around the valve loy reason of the fast that the valve is spaced fro1n the heiler seat and thus the stean1 Will aot to clean the valve. Again, the assooiation of the oresoent-shaped port er passage With the scutate valve so inoreases the capaoity of this type of blow-ofi valve that its scope of applioation is very greatly enlarged.

lt n1ay be pointed out that the valve being of the same shape as the seat or ring 20, and of very slightly lese di2uneter, is positively drawn against its seat either by the resilient aotion 0I" the handle or the resilient action of the spring 35. lt is fun ther to be noted that on shifting the valve from its closed position to its open position, the resilient pressure Which holds thevalve to its seat is relieved, and by loosening the nut on the end of the valve ste1n, and also loosening the set-sorew 27, the handle rnay be shifted slightly outward, thus permitting tween the ousps of 13l1- orescent and concentrio W1ill the curvature of ihe minor Wall o1 t-he said passage but eccencric "co the axis of the valve body, a valve spindle disposed in said bore, and a valve mounted on the inner end of the spindle and engaging the inner end face o1 the body.

6. In a valve of the character described, a valve body having a fiuid passage theretl'1rough, a valve spindle rotatably monnted on the body, a disk-like ralve carried on the inner end 01"? the spindle and rotatable therewith into position to close or disclose said passage, a resilient handle mounted upon the end of the spindle and extending in an angular direction approxi1nately coincident Wilh the angular direction of the valve, said handle having a boss, a head formed 0n the outer end of the valve body extending transversely to ehe body, said head having a supporting shoulder extending in a plane approximately at right angles to the plane of travel of the handle, the outer face of the head being notched, the boss on the handle being adapted to engage the notoh whereby to latch the handle in operative position.

7. In a valve of the charaoter described, a valve body having a fluid passagetherethrough, a rotatalole valve spindle mounted in said body, a disk-like valve carried on the inner end of the spindle and bearing against the inner face of the body and movalole into a position to olose or disclose the assage, a resilient handle mounted on the outer end ofthe spindle extending in an angnlar Clirection approximately coinoident Willi the angular direotion of the valve and having a detent upon its inner face, a transversely extending, horizontally disposed head upon the outer face of the body provided with a horizontally disposed handle supporting shoulder extending in a plane approximately ab right angles to alle plane of travel o1 the handle, the faoe of the head above the shoulder being formed With horizontally disposed notches and extending on each side of the spindle and approximately radially thereto, the detent on said handle being adapted 130 engage With and lock in said i1otches when the handle is in either of its horizontal positions.

8. In a valve of the charaoter described, a valve body having a fluid passage extending therethrough and a spindle receiving bore also extending therethrough, the outer end of the body being formed Wih a transversely extending head, said head having a horizontal edge disposed slightly above the said spindle-receiving bore and said head being provided with a horizontally disposed shonlder extending beneath said bore, I:he

face of' the head above the shoulder being formed on either side of said leere With a horizontally extending notch, a spindle disposed in said bore, a Valve rotatable With the spindle and adapted to close or dis-olose said passage, and a resilient handle mounted upon the outer end of the spindle and having a boss npon its inner face adapted to engage with and lock in either one of said notohes.

9. In a valve of the oharacter described, a valve body having a fluid passage extending therethrough and a spindle reoeiving ore also extending therethrough, the outer end of the body being for1ned With a transversely extending head provided With a horizontally disposed shoulder extending beneath said bore, the face of the head aloove the shoulder being formed on either side of said bore with a horizontally extending notch a spindle disposed in said bore, a valve rotatable with the spindle and adapted to olose or dis-close said passage, a resilient handle mounted upon the outer end o1 the spindle and having a lo0ss upon its inner face adapted to engage With said notohes in either horizontal position of the handle, and a nut on the end of the spindle engaging said handle to force it inward with relation to the spindle and 130 draw th e spindle outward and the valve to its seat.

10. In a valve of the character descriloed, a valve body having a fiuid passage extending therethrough and a spindle bo1e extending therethrough, the outer end of the body being for1ned with a transversely extending head provided with a horizontal shoulder extending beneath the spindle bore, the face 015 the head above the shoulder and on each side 01: the bore being formed with a horizontally extending notoh, the upper edge of ehe head on each side of the bore being beveled outward and downward, the notoh being lese in depth than the depth of said beveled edge, a handle monnted upon the spindle and having a resilient shank, the inner face of the handle being forn1ed with a boss adapted 130 engage in the said notoh when the handle is in either of its horizontal positions, the boss on the handle projecting when the handle is in a vertioal position over the inclined edge of the head so as to flex the handle when the handle is moved to a horizontal position.

11. In a valve of the oharaoter descriloed, a valve bodyhaving a fluid passage therethrough and a spindle bore extending therethrough, the outer end of the valve body being forn1ed with a transversely extending head provided with a horizontal shonlder disposed below the bore, the face of die head being forrned With a notch on each side of ehe bore, the upper edge of the head being heveled, said notoh being less in depth than the depth of the beveled edge, a spindle extending through the bore, a valve on the inner end of the spindle adapted to engage against the inner end of the valve body to olose or disclose the passage. therethrough when rotated with the Spindle, a handle 1n0unied upon the outer end of the spindle and having a resilient shank provided Wih an inwardly projecting boss adapted t0 engage Wih the beveled edge 0f the head as the handle is turned to a horizontal position and engage in said notches when ehe handle is in a horizontal position, and a nut 011 the end of the spindle forcing said handle toward the head and drawing the valve into osition against the inner end 0f the body.

12. In a valve 0f the character described, a va1ve b0dy having a discharge passage extending therethrough frorn ics inner t0 its outer end and having a spindle bore extendingtpherethrough, a rotatable spindle mountnasses.

NATHANIEL N. BOYDEN. Witnesses H. S. VOODWARD, CHR. R. NIELSEN.

Genies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner 01 Patents, Washington, D. C. 

